We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rob Devenuto. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rob below.

Rob, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

Age and time are a funny thing… when I was younger, I didn’t really pay attention to them as there were so many other things that seemed important. You would hear that “Time is the most important thing and something you can never get back. Use it wisely.” I heard the words, but it didn’t really sync in. I was young, feeling invincible and it felt like an eternity until I would be 40, 50, or more. As I aged, you begin to see more time in the rear-view mirror than through the front windshield and that was the point where I started thinking about mortality and my legacy. My sister once told me that you die twice… the first physically and the second time when your name is last spoken. That resonated with me and while one doesn’t have much control when they physically pass on, they can help in keeping their name alive by their life deeds. Pretty sure this is why the super rich have these huge endowments, foundations and pour a tremendous amount of their wealth into philanthropy efforts… not only to do good but also to keep their names alive.

As I think about my legacy, I want to be remembered for the good that I did during my time here. Generally speaking, within 150 years of one’s physical death, the person is forgotten. You might have some distant descendants that see you on their family tree, but no one will remember you by that time. So, if you want a lasting legacy, you have to do something that can stand the test of time. For me, that is my photography. My love for photography is the ability to capture a moment in time. We all think time moves too fast; and to capture that moment, whether a family event/celebration, a key moment in a sporting event, or a landscape that may look completely different in 50 years… these are the images that I hope relatives find a shot I took of their great-great grandparents or a landscape that is from days gone past and the image moves someone or makes them feel something…. that is the legacy I want to leave. My kids know of my love for photography. When/if they decide to have kids of their own, my grandkids will know too… what I want is for my future generations to get a feel for who I was by my photographs.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Sure, my pleasure. I started into photography when in high school. I took a photography class and began to learn the fundamentals of photography. I really wasn’t any good, but I really enjoyed it. Problem was, I couldn’t afford all the gear, film, developing, etc. at the time, so the interest got put on the shelf. After college, I bought my first point and shoot camera where I took a picture of a sailboat within a sunset that I entered into a contest and won. That was the first step in me really considering photography as more than a casual hobby.

Fast forward a few years and my kids became active with playing soccer and baseball. I bought a DSLR and began shooting their games. After the games I would upload the pics to my website for the parents to view and download. It didn’t take long for me to become the “team photographer” for every subsequent team they played on. This started building my reputation as a photographer which bridged into portraits and senior shots. Once my kids graduated high school, I found myself with a lot more times on my hands and started getting the photography business stood up where I would focus on portraits, headshots and landscapes.

There are so many great photographers out there and with the equipment nowadays, many folks can easily take good shots. And I encourage folks to experiment and play. I once heard someone say that “you can never hurt yourself by complimenting others” and I subscribe to that mantra. What makes the difference between professional photographers and casual ones are how they approach the shoot, and this is all based on experience. When shooting people, you need to have a connection with them otherwise the image tends to be flat and uninteresting. When shooting landscapes, you need to see the composition before taking the image. In essence, you need to know what you are shooting before you click that shutter and that is only available with experience. Beyond the actual images, there are a host of other things that help me stand out including my customer service, turnaround time for the images and my editing style. While all of these are important, a photographer’s editing style is at the top… this is their signature. I have a softer style to my photography. I think it comes from deep in my soul where I want to soften some of the hardness we are all experiencing in our everyday lives. If I can make someone feel something when they look at one of my images, then I have done my job.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I really like this question as I am a big believer in self-reflection. One of the earliest lessons I had to unlearn (and I think any artist can relate to this) is not to define your worth based on how people respond to your art. You have to do the art for yourself, not for others. If you are doing it to hear the applause, likes, kudos… you will head down a self-destructive path. Don’t get me wrong, it is very nice to be complimented and I love it when someone takes the time to tell me how an image made them feel. It just can’t be the reason you are doing it. Not everyone will like what you make and that is fine. If you like it, that is all that matters. When I first started posting seriously on social networks, I didn’t know what to expect. I started constantly checking if people were liking my work. It wasn’t healthy and quickly realized I had to change my expectations and approach. It wasn’t immediately easy but over time, I was able to grow a thicker skin, appreciate the constructive criticism (which has changed many of my approaches for the better) and of course grateful for the wonderful comments given. No matter what your art is, do it for you and the others will follow. Otherwise, you are just chasing an unrealistic expectation.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being creative is getting lost in the moment. We are all inundated with life these days and it’s hard to stay present. When I have my camera, I am focused on a single point in time and it slows me down. The same is true when I start my post-processing of the images. I get into this mode where I tailor each image to how I see it in my head. The process can sometimes take a few iterations but I trust the process. Once completed, I feel this excitement in my bones.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.robdevenutophotography.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robdevenutophotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobDeVenutoPhotography
• Other: YouPic: https://youpic.com/robdevenuto

Image Credits

Rob DeVenuto Photography